Protect Your Harley During the Off-Season WINTERIZING TIPS

[MikeSandy]

Protect Your Harley During the Off-Season WINTERIZING TIPS


If you’re planning to put your bike into hibernation while the area transforms into a frozen tundra, here are some storage tips to keep your bike in great shape during its long winter nap:


• This is the fun part - take your Harley for a final ride, and stop by a gas station on your way home and fill up your tank. A full tank will prevent moisture, a.k.a. rust, inside your gas tank.
• Add stabilizer according to the instructions on the bottle and let the engine run for a few minutes. Modern gasoline has a shelf life of only a few weeks, and fuel stabilizer will help prevent it from breaking down and causing gummed-up or varnished fuel lines, carburetors, injectors, etc.
• Change the engine oil and oil filter, transmission fluid, and primary fluid while the bike is still warm. Replacing these fluids helps eliminate chemicals and particles in the old oil created by combustion that can eventually break down the viscosity of your oil and corrode metal surfaces.
• Lubricate your clutch and throttle cables. Also lube joints and pivots, such as side stand pivots, suspension linkages and brake lever pivots.
• Check and service the battery, clean the battery terminals, and connect a trickle charger or battery tender. When it is not being used on a regular basis, a battery will gradually lose its charge, especially if you have installed a security system or stereo, which can drain your battery.
• Inflate your tires to proper pressure, as under-inflated tires can hasten the appearance of flat spots. Unless you can store your motorcycle with all the weight off its tires, you should move your bike regularly and adjust the tires in a different spot each time.
• Clean and wax the bike to prevent corrosion and pitting caused by moisture trapped in dirt and grime.
• If possible, keep the bike in a warm garage, out of direct sunlight. UV rays also deteriorate paint and plastic. Rubber is sensitive to ultraviolet light and your tires can develop dry rot.
• Use a breathable cover to keep dust and moisture out. Plastic tarps that don't breathe can trap moisture in, causing rust.
• Store it out of the way in a low-traffic area, making sure that the bike is locked up, and keep the registration and other papers in a separate safe place.
• Once a month or so, turn the engine over a couple of times to keep things loose and lubricated!


These simple precautions will ensure that your beloved Harley-Davidson will be ready when you are, and will be running next spring just the way you remembered.


Be sure to use genuine Harley-Davidson parts and products when performing these winterizing chores to provide optimum performance and protection. But for the ultimate treatment, bring your bike to us to prepare and store until you’re ready to ride next season!

They make no mention of pulling the Spark Plugs, Adding a couple cc's of Motor Oil to the cylinders, Cranking the Engine to distribute the Oil in the Cylinders and re installing the Spark Plugs. My Shop Manual mentions to do this, Is it necessary ?
Once a month or so, turn the engine over a couple of times to keep things loose and lubricated! Are they doing this at the Dealership when people store their Bikes with them over the Winter?7
Inflate your tires to proper pressure, as under-inflated tires can hasten the appearance of flat spots. Unless you can store your motorcycle with all the weight off its tires, you should move your bike regularly and adjust the tires in a different spot each time.
Do you really think the Bikes that are in Winter Storage at the Dealership are being moved around?7
My Bike will be stored in my Garage that is part of my House (Split-Level) unheated but, not freezing temps.
I really would like to raise the Bike with my floor jack and place the frame on some type of wood cradle without tire contact, Any Ideas?

ATB Mike

[MusicnHarleys]

Good info

[SCHMIDTYS]

No to your questions and Sears , Harbor Freight , etc. have inexpensive cycle jacks that would work great for getting your tires off the floor .

[jdlangdon]

This post should be a sticky. Very useful stuff.

[WebbHog]

I can never get home with a full tank of gas.
Once I fill it I just want to ride it, dam I hate winter!

[Stash905]

"They make no mention of pulling the Spark Plugs, Adding a couple cc's of Motor Oil to the cylinders, Cranking the Engine to distribute the Oil in the Cylinders and re installing the Spark Plugs. My Shop Manual mentions to do this, Is it necessary ?
Once a month or so, turn the engine over a couple of times to keep things loose and lubricated! Are they doing this at the Dealership when people store their Bikes with them over the Winter?"

Yes, you should put some oil in the cylinders but you should not start the bike once a month. If you do, two things happen; you burn off the oil and unless you take it for a good ride and get everything up to temperature, you will have condensation forming, especially in the exhaust.

[murf]

Originally Posted by Stash905

"They make no mention of pulling the Spark Plugs, Adding a couple cc's of Motor Oil to the cylinders, Cranking the Engine to distribute the Oil in the Cylinders and re installing the Spark Plugs. My Shop Manual mentions to do this, Is it necessary ?
Once a month or so, turn the engine over a couple of times to keep things loose and lubricated! Are they doing this at the Dealership when people store their Bikes with them over the Winter?"

Yes, you should put some oil in the cylinders but you should not start the bike once a month. If you do, two things happen; you burn off the oil and unless you take it for a good ride and get everything up to temperature, you will have condensation forming, especially in the exhaust.

Service manager at dealership were I bought my RK said instead of squirting engine oil into the cylinders, he said to give each cylinder a shot of engine fogging oil.

[Stash905]

Originally Posted by murf

Service manager at dealership were I bought my RK said instead of squirting engine oil into the cylinders, he said to give each cylinder a shot of engine fogging oil.

That is definitely better. Yes, I agree.

[Dave63]

Originally Posted by Stash905

"They make no mention of pulling the Spark Plugs, Adding a couple cc's of Motor Oil to the cylinders, Cranking the Engine to distribute the Oil in the Cylinders and re installing the Spark Plugs. My Shop Manual mentions to do this, Is it necessary ?
Once a month or so, turn the engine over a couple of times to keep things loose and lubricated! Are they doing this at the Dealership when people store their Bikes with them over the Winter?"

Yes, you should put some oil in the cylinders but you should not start the bike once a month. If you do, two things happen; you burn off the oil and unless you take it for a good ride and get everything up to temperature, you will have condensation forming, especially in the exhaust.

It's not necessary to fog cylinders or add oil to them unless you're going to leave the bike sit, or not run AT ALL, for a year or more.

Regardless of what the manual says, it also says that you should change oil every 3000 miles, with no regard, or mention of Synthetic oils. Not everyting in the manual is to be taken as the word of God.

Food for thought: Cars/trucks sit on dealer lots, OUTSIDE, for up to 2-3 YEARS, and maybe get moved 2-3 times a year or less.

Nobody's oiling cylinders on those vehicles......and there's no residual issues.

Running a vehicle that's being stored is the worst thing you can do, as you never warm it up enough to burn off condensation created in the exhaust, OR the oil, leaving moisture filled oil, and acidic byproducts of combustion in the fresh oil.

My suggestion: Either put it away, or ride it. If you try "run it to keep it fresh" you're doing more harm then good.

[NELS]

Excuse my ignorance but what is "fogging oil"?